Research
Our laboratory is dedicated to advancing drug delivery, with a particular focus on nose-to-brain delivery and skin delivery. We employ a range of innovative approaches to enhance drug efficacy, including the design of chiral nanocarriers that selectively interact with biomolecules, enabling precise control over drug targeting and biodistribution.
In addition, we tailor the physicochemical properties of drugs to achieve desired characteristics in the final dosage form. Our research focuses on developing nanometric delivery systems that are readily bioavailable for different administration routes. To assess the performance of these systems in biological tissues, we utilize advanced mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), as described below.
Beyond the development of novel delivery platforms, we actively address key challenges associated with nanoparticle synthesis. These include issues such as uncontrolled crystallization and crystal growth, particle aggregation and size enlargement, loss of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) activity, and limitations in carrier biocompatibility and biodegradability.
Through this work, we aim to create more stable, effective, and clinically relevant drug delivery solutions.
Drug Delivery
Our research focuses on the design and development of next-generation drug delivery systems aimed at overcoming the limitations of conventional therapeutic approaches. By engineering delivery platforms that target specific anatomical sites, we strive to maximize therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. These systems are versatile and adaptable across a broad range of applications, including pharmaceuticals for central nervous system disorders, cosmeceuticals for dermatological health, and other bioactive compounds such as peptides, nucleic acids, and natural products.
We place strong emphasis on tailoring our delivery systems to address specific clinical challenges. These include enhancing drug solubility, facilitating permeation across biological barriers (such as the skin and the blood brain barrier), and achieving sustained or stimuli-responsive release profiles. Our translational approach bridges fundamental formulation science with real-world biomedical needs, ultimately contributing to the development of safer, more effective, and patient-friendly therapies.
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology lies at the core of our drug delivery strategies. By designing nanocarriers with precisely controlled physicochemical properties, we are able to regulate their pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. Nanoscale systems offer numerous advantages, including enhanced drug loading capacity, improved stability of labile compounds, controlled release kinetics, increased selectivity for diseased tissues, and the integration of imaging functionalities within a single platform.
Our research encompasses a wide range of nanocarrier systems, from chiral polymeric nanoparticles and lipid-based carriers to advanced hybrid nanostructures, each tailored to address specific therapeutic challenges.
Through this approach, we develop delivery platforms that not only transport drugs but also dynamically interact with the biological environment, supporting the advancement of precision medicine.
Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI)
To evaluate the in vivo performance and spatial biodistribution of our drug delivery systems, we employ mass spectrometry imaging techniques, desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI). This advanced analytical platform enables label-free visualization of drugs, metabolites, and endogenous molecules directly within biological tissue sections, providing unparalleled insights into molecular dynamics at the tissue and cellular levels.
We apply DESI-MSI to track drug diffusion, accumulation, and metabolism in native tissue environments, information that is essential for optimizing formulation design. For example, in our studies of nose-to-brain drug delivery, DESI-MSI allows simultaneous monitoring of both the administered compound and associated neurotransmitters, shedding light on the relationship between delivery routes and pharmacodynamic responses.
In another application, we developed a dedicated skin imaging protocol to map the permeation of drugs and cosmeceutical compounds across distinct epidermal and dermal layers of human skin. This approach generates spatially resolved concentration profiles that reveal both permeation depth and intra-tissue distribution across different skin strata. These high-resolution maps serve as quantitative tools for the rational design of more efficient topical and transdermal formulations.
By directly linking molecular permeation profiles with formulation properties, this methodology accelerates drug delivery optimization, supports efficacy validation in cosmetic science, and enables precise targeting of specific skin compartments such as the stratum corneum, layers of viable epidermis, and dermis to achieve desired therapeutic or aesthetic outcomes.
Molecular Signatures and Biomarkers
Beyond evaluating drug biodistribution, we utilize mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to investigate disease-related molecular signatures. By detecting spatial alterations in the biochemical landscape of tissues, MSI provides valuable insights into molecular changes associated with pathological processes such as tumor progression, inflammation, and neurodegeneration.
This approach enables the identification of novel biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring, as well as the discovery of potential molecular targets for pharmacological intervention. In addition, it allows us to assess how disease states reshape tissue microenvironments, thereby influencing drug permeation, distribution, and therapeutic efficacy.
By integrating molecular signature mapping with advanced drug delivery strategies, our work enhances the understanding of drug–disease–tissue interactions and paves the way for both precision diagnostics and personalized therapeutic approaches.
Drug Delivery
Nanotechnology
Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI)
Molecular Signatures
and Biomarkers